Andrew McCarthy’s new book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination Of Male Friendship Across America, is a travelogue of the author’s cross-country road trip to visit five close male friends with whom he has basically lost touch. He not only analyzes his relationships with these men – how they started, why they lapsed, and how they reignited thanks to these impulsive visits – but also talks to various men across America whom he encounters on the road, asking them about their own success (or lack thereof) with meaningful friendships. Opening the book talking about the epidemic of loneliness that plagues modern men (and its very real and negative impact on longevity), McCarthy explores how different generations deal with it (younger men are more open to admitting their loneliness) and the common traits that help men connect in order to combat it. Some men cite loyalty, trust and a lack of judgment as key to their meaningful male friendships, while others have simply given up on making an effort to find them. My takeaway from Who Needs Friends about the state of male friendship is a mixed bag – part hopeful, part really depressing – as it seems that many men are simply destined to give in to inertia, insecurity or long-held images of masculinity, rather than examine what might be missing from their lives and how to fix it. I really enjoyed McCarthy’s exploration of his own friendships and his role in their ebb and flow, as well as his beautiful travel writing. I felt like I was on that epic road trip with him, experiencing the grand vastness and variety of the American landscape. I highly recommend this one!